Vanish With my Tears Soundless Voice
by WornAndOneWinged
Summary: (Based on "soundless voice" by Hitoshizuku-P) *Starring: Len Kagamine as Ciel and Rin Kagamine as Soleil* Ciel flees with his best friend Soleil to the mountains. While Ciel is all Soleil has for protection and company, she could never imagine her life to be as happy as it is with him. But as the seasons pass, her health declines and Ciel struggles to care for her alone.
1. Chapter 1

"Run, Soleil! Don't stop running!"

"The trees are so pretty! And look at the grass! And the flowers!"

"Don't let go of my hand! Keep running!"

"Ciel, have you ever smelled anything like this before? It's beautiful!"

Soleil's golden hair bounced on the nape of her neck as she pumped her legs harder than she knew her body wanted her to. Summer air rushed past her as she made her way higher into the mountains, hand in hand with Ciel who lead her along without looking back. His short ponytail and bangs of the same golden blonde colour as his female friend fluttered in all directions as he made the great effort to climb the steep way through the forest on the mountain. Ciel was still on edge, wary of the danger behind them. But Soleil had never felt freer from the troubles they had fled from.

"No one will find us out here, we don't need to go so fast!" she forced the words out through ragged breath.

"I'm not taking any chances. That woman lost her mind trying to keep us locked up in that place, she'll come looking for us when she knows we're gone," Ciel's breathing was steady, his body much stronger that Soleil's.

They had lived together since they were young children, growing up in an orphanage in the countryside that was run by a vile and standoffish woman who completely mistreated the children in her care. Both Ciel and Soleil, who were now 14-years-old, were abandoned as infants. Ciel was the first to arrive with Soleil turning up on the orphanage doorstep only a couple of months afterwards. Before they even learned to talk, they had been inseparable friends.

Through all of the cold woman's neglect, the one thing that led Ciel to finally flee the orphanage with his friend was her failure to care for Soleil's medical needs. She had been born with a weaker immune system than most others, making her prone to illnesses and causing her to take long periods of time to recover from something even as minor as a cold. While Ciel had done his best to care for the frail girl, the treatments administered by the woman running the orphanage were far from effective. And this was only if she bothered to care for the sick children in the first place. The living conditions weren't helping either; mould growing on the walls and glass missing from the windows. Ciel hoped that wherever they were running, they would find decent shelter and proper medicine. That they could make good lives for themselves there.

"Ciel, can we… stop for a second?"

Still holding Soleil's had, Ciel pushed his feet into the dirt as he came to a quick halt, turning around to check on her.

"Do you need to sit down and rest?" he looked her over, hoping he wouldn't find any signs of her health declining.

The short blonde shook her head and a closed smile made her cheeks glow and her green eyes sparkle.

"No, I just wanted to get a chance to look around a little. Aren't you excited about being in a place like this?"

Ciel narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips, slightly irritated that she had made him worry for nothing. Still, as he let out a sigh, he lifted his gaze to the treetops above them. Spots of yellow light broke through the green and he shielded his glittering green eyes as he admired the picture of perfection he saw. Now that he could fully take it in, the forest was like a paradise compared to the endless pasture the orphanage had been built on. The soft wind that tickled the tree branches was like gentle music and the birdsong was like a chorus of angels that sang to Ciel and Soleil from the sky.

Soleil felt something brush against her hand and looked down to see Ciel's fingers on her palm.

"Come on, let's keep going," he said as he gripped her hand protectively, smiling warmly.

As they were reaching the very top of the hill, Ciel finally saw something that resembled a house through the trees. The summer breeze blew crisp green leaves across their path as they finally made their way out of the wood.

"Look over there, can you see it?" Ciel pointed.

Soleil was trying her best to hide her exhaustion and gave a small "Mmhmm" as she looked out at the house that was now in plain view.

"We made it, Soleil," Ciel stopped, sensing her true feelings and turning to put a comforting hand on her arm.

He pulled at the shoulders of her faded and dirty pink dress, trying to straighten it for her. He then attempted to brush the dirt off his own green shirt and grey pants. Ciel couldn't wait to find garments more presentable than the threadbare clothes the orphanage provided.

"Let's go and see who lives there. Maybe they'll be nice and let us stay…"

Ciel crouched down in front of Soleil who was glad to get a rest from walking, climbing onto his back and letting him carry her the rest of the way.

They found themselves at the backdoor of a quaint brick house that was small but sturdy. While most of the building had been constructed using sand-coloured bricks, there were a few placed randomly that were dark grey. The black tiles on the roof reflected the rays of the summer sun. To Ciel and Soleil, it was a palace compared to the rundown orphanage in the countryside.

As Soleil slid down from his shoulders, Ciel knocked on the wooden door and waited. After a few seconds, he tried again.

"Try calling out to them?" Soleil suggested when there was still no response.

Ciel nodded. "Hey, is anyone there? Can we come in?"

Even as he raised his voice, no one came from the house to greet them. Ciel looked at Soleil and shrugged before trying to open the door. Surprisingly, it wasn't even locked and the door swung open to allow them entrance into the house.

"W-wait, are you sure we can just go in?" Soleil held Ciel's sleeve to stop him before he went inside.

"I really don't think anyone's here," he assured her. "We could just stay and wait until the person who lives here comes back?"

"Well… Yeah, all right. I guess we _do_ need a place to stay…" Soleil slowly released her grip on Ciel's sleeve as she stepped through the door with him.

There were a total of three rooms in the house. The living room doubled as a bedroom and included a writing desk, a table, a chest of drawers, a fireplace, a bed and a beautiful coffee-coloured piano. There was also a kitchen and a bathroom area in the other rooms. But while the house seemed furnished with everything one might need to live there, it was showing signs that it had been uninhabited for some time with a thin layer of dust on the table and windowsills and a few cobwebs scattered about the place. Whoever owned the house had obviously left and hadn't returned for at least a couple of weeks.

"Come on, you go and lie down and get some rest," Ciel led Soleil over to the bed at the far left corner of the living area that was well made with blankets and a soft white pillow.

Soleil climbed on top of the plush brown duvet and rested her head on the pillow, not needing to lie in the blankets as the summer air kept her warm.

"What would I do without you, Ciel," Soleil smiled as she turned on her side, feeling sleepy even though it was only mid-afternoon.

"I don't even want to think about that. You all alone in that orphanage… I'm so glad we got out of there, Soleil. Now we can…"

Something suddenly caught his eye out of the window beside the bed. He leaned closer to it and peered through the glass.

"What is it?" Soleil blinked the sleepiness out of her eyes before pushing herself up into a sitting position.

Ciel drew in a slow gasp as he registered what he was seeing. "Look, Soleil… It's beautiful!"

Soleil tilted her head in confusion before kneeling on the bed so she could lean on the windowsill. As she looked out, she saw it standing there at the front of the house. The most beautiful tree she had ever seen, big and lush and filled with pink and white blossoms raining softly from its branches that looked perfect for climbing on. It was truly a majestic sight.

"It's… It's a sakura tree!"

"This place is so beautiful…" Ciel closed his eyes and smiled.

"Ciel… Let's stay here. Let's live here forever, okay…"

"Just the two of us, right…"

"The two of us. We'll be all we ever need. We'll live a good life here. One where we're always happy."

Ciel felt Soleil get closer to him and he opened his eyes to embrace her. Their former lives had ended and they were now beginning anew. A brand new adventure and a brand new story to tell was waiting for them and they couldn't wait to start the first page, to sing the first verse of their song. The cherry blossoms swirled past their window and gave them hope for the future. Things would get better for them now. Nothing would ever break their spirits again.


	2. Chapter 2

Ciel absent-mindedly pulled at the leaves of the great sakura tree as he sat on one of its thicker branches. He watched Soleil take large bites of an apple as she sat across from him on another branch, too hungry to eat it politely. He laughed quietly through pursed lips, tossing his apple core away and letting it fall to the ground.

"It's lucky that the owner was growing an apple tree, but we're going to have to find something else to eat before I go insane," Ciel smirked, picking at another leaf. "It's been two days already."

Soleil was about to talk with her mouth full, but quickly remembered her manners and swallowed.

"Well, there's a town down there," she pointed to a spot behind Ciel where they got a good view of a nearby town from the high branches of the sakura tree.

"Why don't we go and look at the shops?"

"Ah, no. _We're _not going anywhere. There's no way you'll make a trip down the mountain and back up again," Ciel said sternly, sounding like a protective father.

Soleil frowned in disappointment and adjusted her sitting position on the branch. "I'm feeling a little better."

"And what'll happen if you put yourself through all that exercise, huh? You'll be back where you started, probably even worse!"

"Okay, okay, fine," Soleil smiled, gesturing with her hands for him to settle down. "But there's also the issue with money… We only found loose change around the house. The owner must have taken their savings with them when they left… And even then I'd feel bad about taking that."

Ciel folded his arms as he leaned back against the curved branch. "It's a real mystery. Where did they go and why haven't they come back? They didn't move, there's still knick-knacks in the draws and other supplies around the house."

"So, how are you planning on buying anything without any money?" Soleil was quick to get back on topic.

"I'll manage, don't worry," Ciel nodded, smiling.

Soleil shot him a suspicious stare. "Ciel… you can't steal from people."

The blonde boy drew in a contrived and exaggerated gasp. "Why, I would _never _steal! How could you even say that?"

That made her eyes narrow even more as she folded her arms, tapping at her sleeve with a stern finger.

"Well, then what's your plan?"

Ciel opened his mouth to reply, then looked away timidly. "I was thinking more like… borrowing?"

"Ah!" Soleil raised her hands and rolled her eyes with a sigh. "I can't believe you!"

"Would you rather eat or starve?" Ciel was quick to defend himself. "Those are your choices, that's the way it is."

"What about right and wrong? We have a choice there too, don't we?"

"Look Soleil, I'm making you a promise right now," Ciel looked as serious and sincere as he could, making Soleil's eyes widen and her mouth purse shut with his sudden attitude change.

"A promise to do whatever it takes to keep you healthy. You don't have to like the decisions I make in order to keep that promise, but that's how it is, okay?"

He swung his legs to one side of the branch and pushed himself off it, jumping about three metres to the fresh dewy grass below. Soleil leaned over her branch to watch him as he brushed his pants off with quick sweeps of his hands.

"I'll be back as soon as I can."

"But, Ciel-" Soleil bit back the urge to stop him, already feeling another pang of hunger as she looked down at her half-eaten apple.

"Okay, but hurry back, all right?"

It was safe to say that the trip down the mountain was twice as easy as climbing uphill when Ciel first started his journey. There were less trees on this side of the mountain and so it was as simple as walking from Point A to Point B with hardly any obstacles to make it difficult for him. After making his way down the grassy hill, Ciel finally set foot in the town area for the first time. He stopped at the side of the road and took in the sights. Before now, places like this only existed in the very few books Ciel had read at the orphanage and while there was nothing in particular about the town that made it stand out, to him it was like he'd stepped into a completely different world. There was a horse and cart approaching down the road with a driver sporting a bushy white moustache. A teenage girl on a bike passed Ciel and smiled politely before turning her attention back to the path. People of all ages, shapes and sizes were going about their business as they entered shops empty-handed and left with all different kinds of shopping bags.

Ciel suddenly felt very out of place in his tattered and unflattering outfit compared to the well-dressed townsfolk. He felt very tempted to make the clothing store across the street his first stop but quickly remembered that he had come there to buy food. That was his first priority and anything else that he might want would have to come later.

It didn't take him long to find the marketplace area where people had set up stalls selling food as new to Ciel as the rest of the town was. There were vegetable stalls and fruit stalls and meat stalls and a whole stall dedicated just to selling watermelon. He felt hungry just at the sight of it, he didn't know where to start. He reached a hand up to his shoulder and adjusted the strap of the grey backpack he had taken from the house as he made his way down one of the aisles. The market wasn't too crowded, but Ciel was starting to wonder if it would really be all that easy to take something without getting caught. He knew that however he was going to go about his mission, he had to be clever about it.

Ciel decided to try one of the fruit stalls first, the brightly coloured lemons and oranges catching his eye. He approached it casually and started looking over the produce with the other two customers who hovered around the stall. The owner was a young woman not much older than twenty with soft pink hair that gushed down the back of her long coat. Her eyes glimmered blue and smiled warmly as they caught Ciel's gaze. He stared back awkwardly for a couple of seconds before looking back down at the fruit.

"Is there something I can help you with, young man?"

Young man. He tried to ignore the fact that it bothered him even though he was fourteen-years-old thank you very much and probably more of an adult than you, anyway.

Ciel forced his best smile, casually slipping the backpack off his shoulders and holding it at his side.

"I just moved into town with my family and I'm running some errands," he spoke in such a high-spirited way that it made him cringe on the inside.

"Oh, so you're new here? Funny, we don't get new residents very often," the woman continued the conversation politely.

"I feel so embarrassed, though," Ciel took a hand from the bag to rub the back of his neck. "Everyone looks so upper-class and attractive compared to me."

"Oh, that's very nice of you to say!" the stall owner pulled at a lock of her cotton-candy hair.

"I'm serious!" Ciel forced a laugh. "I mean, just look at you! I bet you get guys lining up just to hold your hand."

She giggled and looked away blushing and Ciel snatched up the opportunity to pull a bunch of grapes into his backpack.

"For a kid, you sure know what you're doing when it comes to the ladies," the woman shook her head and smiled.

"Hey, I'm older than I look, you know," Ciel smirked. "We should go out for lunch sometime."

She looked away again and three oranges mysteriously disappeared from the stall ended up in the backpack.

"That's very flattering, but I really couldn't… I'm kinda into older guys. And taller guys. And…. yeah."

The smirk remained plastered on Ciel's double-dealing face and he shrugged coolly.

"Ah, it was worth a shot. I'd better be off now, though."

"Oh, you're not going to buy anything?" the pink-haired woman asked, confused.

As he left, Ciel looked back over his shoulder and smiled charmingly with a cute wink. "I already got what I came for."

Navigating his way down the aisle, Ciel put a hand over his face as it twisted into a look of blushing embarrassment. _That was so out of character, I can't believe I actually pulled that off_, he thought as he questioned his apparently effective acting skills. As he was hoping that the next stall owner he tried wouldn't be female, he suddenly realised that he had no idea how he would manage to deal with a guy when sweet-talk most likely wouldn't be an option. Or at least not an option he was willing to attempt. But either luckily or unluckily, the person working at the vegetable stall he approached was a girl who looked to be about sixteen. She held a leek in her right hand and was waving it about as she called out to the customers that passed by. Her wavy aquamarine pigtails were tied up in big black ribbons and were so long that they disappeared behind the counter she stood at and bounced every time she twisted on the spot. There was a sign above her head that read _#1 Princess_; obviously the name of the stall.

"Beans and broccoli, half price!" she called in a chirpy voice. "Buy a bunch of carrots, get one free! Come _on_, people! Y'know you can't get any better than that!"

Ciel frowned a little as he thought hard about his next move. The girl was drawing so much attention to herself, it would be hard to take something from her without at least one person catching him in the act. He decided to move on to another stall.

"Hey, you! You, sir!"

_Shoot._

Ciel turned around and looked at the bubbly girl behind him. "Me?"

"Yes, you! I saw you eyeing up my stuff. So come back here and buy something, silly!" she grinned, waving the leek cheekily.

Ciel put on a smile and walked back to the stall.

"What'll it be, huh? I've got corn, I've got cabbage, I've got carrots, I've got it all! So take your pick!"

"Well, the thing is… it's all a little out of my price range…" Ciel said honestly.

The girl gasped and covered her mouth with her free hand. "Out of your… Out of your price range?!"

"Uh, yes?" Ciel took a step back anxiously.

"Nooooo way," she pointed the leek at the blonde boy's nose and he went cross-eyed as he looked at it.

"I've got the cheapest vegetables in town! There's no way they could be out of your price range!"

Ciel shrugged. "That's still the case, unfortunately."

"Dude, just look around! There's got to be _something _you can afford! I've got beans, I've got broccoli, I've got Brussels sprouts… don't buy those, they're disgusting… But still!"

"Look, I really can't afford anything. I'm sorry," Ciel insisted. "I'll be going now."

He felt a hand grasp his shoulder as he turned around and he was spun back to face the girl.

"You're not leaving until you take something!"

"I'm sorry, I would! But I really can't. I'm not kidding."

"I have the best stuff in this whole market, you have to take _something_!"

"Wait…"

Ciel stopped bickering with her to think. That word she had so carelessly chosen to use. There could be a way to use it against her.

"So… you want me to _take_ something?"

"Yes, yes, just take something already!" the girl balled her free hand into a fist and shook it as she became more irritated.

"You _really _want me to take something…?"

"_Yes! _Take something! Anything!"

"Well… I guess… if you insist?" Ciel smiled and picked up a leek from the pile on the countertop.

The girl sighed loudly in relief. "Good choice. Now, that'll be-"

"Okay, thanks!"

Ciel turned and bolted in the opposite direction. He heard the girl shriek behind him and he pushed himself to run faster into the crowd.

"Hey! Stop! Come back with that leek!"

He looked back and she was already sprinting after him, catching up quickly with her little white dress and pigtails fluttering about. Ciel gasped as he turned to look in the direction he was running in, nearly colliding with a man in his path.

"You have to pay for that!" the girl cried out, her pace quickening.

"Well, you said I could take it!" Ciel called back over his shoulder.

"You know that's not what I meant, you thief! Give me back the leek! The leek is _mine!_"

Ciel dashed around the corner as he left the market place and ran back into the streets, making his way past tall apartment buildings and shops. He saw his reflection in a clothing store window with the girl's reflection following close behind. She was fast. And she was going to catch him eventually. _Is this all really worth one little leek? Why the heck did I even take it in the first place when there were so many other things to choose from? I mean yeah, it was the closest thing for me to grab at the time, but still…_

"Okay fine, you can have it back!"

Ciel turned and started running backwards. He lifted the leek above his head and threw it hard to the girl who quickly stopped to catch it. She was now holding a leek in each hand and she waved them both angrily as she started running again.

"I'm not done with you yet! You can't just steal and get away with it, you big dummy!"

"Gagh!" Ciel sprinted away again, running down the cobbled street.

He turned a corner and pulled open the door of the first shop he came to. He ran down an aisle of shelves to the back of the store and hid behind the counter, not even stopping to see if anyone was standing there. As he pulled his knees up to his chest to make himself as small as possible, he waited until he was sure that it was safe to come out.

"Um, she's gone now."

Ciel looked up from his spot on the floor to see a boy standing beside him, wearing a white apron. As he looked up all the way, he saw that the boy was quite young and had hair the colour of golden sand, flicking out in waves around his face. A white bandage covered his left eye, but he could see that his right eye gleamed a pretty amber colour. Aside from the apron, his dark blue outfit resembled that of a young sailor and he wore a white hat with a black visor. Ciel couldn't tell whether he was a sweet or threatening character as the two boys stared with the same looks of confusion on their faces. studying each other.

"Was she your crazy girlfriend, or something?" the boy blinked with one wide eye, speaking in a husky English accent.

"Oh…" Ciel shook his head to wake himself from the trance he had fallen into and stood up quickly.

"No, it's nothing like that. I'm… sorry for barging in here like that. That was really rude of me."

The boy smiled and rubbed the back of his head. "Nah, don't worry about it. I'm Oliver."

Ciel smiled back and took the hand that was extended towards him, shaking it softly.

"Ciel," he introduced himself.

"I've never seen you around here, where are you from?" Oliver folded his arms after letting go of the blonde boy's hand.

"Oh, well… it's kind of a long story," Ciel pursed his lips, not sure if he should be burdening a stranger with his problems. "But anyway, I live in a house on a mountain now. It's not too far from here."

He turned around to look at the store he had run into and saw that it was a small bakery. Shelves were stacked with breads and pastries that looked so professionally made, he couldn't believe that a boy as young as Oliver had baked them. The thought of stealing anything didn't even cross his mind. This boy seemed too nice, there was no way he could do that. Even though he had just come into his shop so suddenly and hidden behind his counter, Oliver wasn't mad. And even though his attire was scruffy, Oliver didn't judge him.

"The house on the mountain?" Oliver asked as Ciel turned back to look at him again.

"Yeah. You see, I ran away from an orphanage in the country with my friend Soleil and it was the first house we came to. The owner still hasn't come back, though…"

Oliver reached under the counter and pulled out a newspaper. "Check the front page."

Ciel took the paper cautiously and lay it down on the countertop, looking over the first page. He frowned when he read the headline. **_Man found dead at the bottom of the mountain._**

"Wait, what…?" Ciel muttered, confused.

"He'd come down the mountain to shop in town once a week. One of my best customers, he was."

"That's terrible…"

While he was deeply saddened and shocked as he came to learn the fate of the owner of the house on the mountain, he was more troubled by another horrible fact. No one was going to be there to take care of Ciel and Soleil. There would never be any money in the house. They'd go hungry.

Ciel put his hands on the countertop and sighed, hunched over in despair.

"What am I going to do…"

"Hey, what's the matter?" Oliver asked, genuinely concerned.

"We're flat broke. I came here to steal food for Soleil and me and I barely even managed to do that. And now I won't even be able to set foot in the market again without that girl telling everyone that I'm a thief."

Oliver took a moment to think, staring intently into space with a serious expression.

"Well… you're definitely in a pickle," he spoke into a sigh. "But if you'll let me, I think I can help."

"Huh?" Ciel straightened his back slowly and tilted his head in confusion.

"You see, I live here in this bakery with my mother. She's blind, so I have to take care of her. And while I hate to admit it, it's no easy task for a twelve-year-old.

"It might not look it right now, but this shop actually gets pretty busy. So, I don't know, I guess I could use a little help."

"So, you're saying…" Ciel tried not to smile until he confirmed what Oliver was meaning.

"Yes. I'm offering you a job."

"You're serious? Y-yes, I'll take it! Thank you so much!" Ciel was beaming, tears of joy forming in the corners of his eyes.

Oliver smiled warmly and patted the older boy's shoulder. "I'll be glad to take you on. Not just as a co-worker, but as a friend too. Sounds like we could both use one, huh?"

"Of course," Ciel grinned. "And I'll work really hard, I promise."

His smile faded suddenly as he remembered his backpack that contained stolen fruit from the marketplace. He grimaced as he realised what he had to do.

"But first, I'm going to need to take back the stuff I stole…"

Oliver shook his head, smirking as he dug into his trouser pocket and pulled out a few gold coins.

"Here's a little payment in advance. Just pretend that you forgot to pay for the food and you'll sound like an honest gentleman."

Ciel held out his hand as the sandy-haired boy dropped the money into it. "Heh. Thanks, Oliver."


End file.
